Environmental Working Group president Ken Cook has issued the following statement on the passage of the Janey Ensminger Act, which provides health benefits to those made ill by drinking water contamination aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina:
"The Janey Ensminger Act is a powerful example of how Congress can unify to pass legislation for public health and the environment. Tragically, it came at great cost – a young girl’s life – and the lives of many others who were unwittingly exposed to toxic chemicals that should never have gotten into the water they drank or the air they breathed. Defending this nation starts with protecting the health of those who serve it. When people responsible for protecting our military families and civilian workers fail to do so, it falls on us as concerned citizens to ensure that they are kept safe from dangerous pollution. EWG applauds the leadership of Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), and the perseverance of Jerry Ensminger, Mike Partain and others who dared to tell the story of Camp Lejeune. Like the memory of loved ones, it will not be forgotten."
